The Modern Leader series: Listen like you mean it

Modern leadership attribute No.4: Listen Like You Mean It

The most effective leaders genuinely listen to their employees; leaders who don’t listen are surrounded by silence. Active listening means putting away distractions and being present, maintaining eye contact, and focusing fully on understanding what’s being said, not thinking about what to say or do next.

Reflect back on what you hear to show you’re processing what they’re saying. Ask thoughtful follow-up questions to get more information or clarification if needed.

When employees share challenges, validate their feelings before jumping to solutions.

This kind of focused attention and empathy shows you see them, hear them and value their perspective.

Read on to get eight steps to master active listening.

About The Modern Leader series

Discover actionable insights released biweekly, designed to help you elevate your own leadership impact and drive the business results you seek.

So, how do you know if you’re a modern leader?

Modern leaders stand apart through their ability to balance head and heart in today’s complex workplace, integrating emotional intelligence with strategic thinking.

New research with The Harris Poll (publishing Summer 2025) shows only 30% of leaders truly meet their teams’ evolving needs — but that elite group leads with “their heart IN their head” and consistently demonstrates six key differentiators.

They:

• Lead with gratitude.
• Listen and empathize.
• Foster an inclusive culture.
• Communicate with context.
• Connect strategy to employee growth.
• Enable employees to meet the moment.

To see additional ways you can differentiate yourself as a modern leader, check out the collection of modern leadership attributes (added bi-weekly) here.